September 13th, 2023
THE MYTHS OF FAITH & MENTAL HEALTH
Myth #4 - One book, one pill, one prayer, will fix everything
Several years ago, I was talking to a member of my faith community who had been stuck in a pattern of thinking for quite some time. Years ago, she had hurt another person and was struggling to forgive herself for what she had done.
After years of beating yourself up, it’s hard to start thinking differently. You likely need a mental health professional to help you identify your negative thinking patterns and replace those with positive ones. However, this person desperately wanted to keep meeting with me until I said the “magic words” that would finally click and fix everything. I tried to convince them that’s not how it works, that there is work they must do, work they need a guide to help them with. But they wouldn’t listen and finally stopped meeting with me altogether.
I get that feeling. When I was diagnosed, I wanted the doctor to give me a pill that would take my anxiety away, or seek a counselor who could give me the right formula that would
reverse my negative thinking or the pastor who could anoint me and say the right words that would once again make me whole.
I learned, in my journey, and I believe with all my heart, that most of our mental health concerns must be addressed from every possible angle: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We call this wholistic care; in the Adventist faith tradition, we have leaned into this whole heartedly (pun intended). We started hospitals, in part, because we know that to have good spiritual health, you need good physical health. We started schools, in part because we know how important it is to help you develop throughout all of life’s stages.
When Jesus came across the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been coming to that pool for 38 years hoping for a magic pill kind of healing, Jesus asked him a critical question. He said, “Would you like to get well?”
At first read, it’s easy to say, “Well duh! Absolutely! Why else do you think I’ve been coming here for 38 years? However, what I believe Jesus was getting at was that to seek real, meaningful, transformative healing, there is no quick fix. It takes work, commitment, and often, it takes you fighting to do the thing that is the exact opposite of the thing you want to do (for example, when you’re anxiety is high, exercising can bring incredible natural benefits but it’s the absolute last thing you want to do).
But if you’re ready to heal and willing to do the work, it may be one of the toughest and most rewarding things you’ll ever do. It may well take seeking a physician for your physical health, a pastor for your spiritual health, a counselor for your mental and emotional health, and a support team to cheer you on when you want to give up. But if you’re willing to do the work, healing can come, keep up the good fight. You are worth it!
JOURNAL:
After years of beating yourself up, it’s hard to start thinking differently. You likely need a mental health professional to help you identify your negative thinking patterns and replace those with positive ones. However, this person desperately wanted to keep meeting with me until I said the “magic words” that would finally click and fix everything. I tried to convince them that’s not how it works, that there is work they must do, work they need a guide to help them with. But they wouldn’t listen and finally stopped meeting with me altogether.
I get that feeling. When I was diagnosed, I wanted the doctor to give me a pill that would take my anxiety away, or seek a counselor who could give me the right formula that would
reverse my negative thinking or the pastor who could anoint me and say the right words that would once again make me whole.
I learned, in my journey, and I believe with all my heart, that most of our mental health concerns must be addressed from every possible angle: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We call this wholistic care; in the Adventist faith tradition, we have leaned into this whole heartedly (pun intended). We started hospitals, in part, because we know that to have good spiritual health, you need good physical health. We started schools, in part because we know how important it is to help you develop throughout all of life’s stages.
When Jesus came across the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been coming to that pool for 38 years hoping for a magic pill kind of healing, Jesus asked him a critical question. He said, “Would you like to get well?”
At first read, it’s easy to say, “Well duh! Absolutely! Why else do you think I’ve been coming here for 38 years? However, what I believe Jesus was getting at was that to seek real, meaningful, transformative healing, there is no quick fix. It takes work, commitment, and often, it takes you fighting to do the thing that is the exact opposite of the thing you want to do (for example, when you’re anxiety is high, exercising can bring incredible natural benefits but it’s the absolute last thing you want to do).
But if you’re ready to heal and willing to do the work, it may be one of the toughest and most rewarding things you’ll ever do. It may well take seeking a physician for your physical health, a pastor for your spiritual health, a counselor for your mental and emotional health, and a support team to cheer you on when you want to give up. But if you’re willing to do the work, healing can come, keep up the good fight. You are worth it!
JOURNAL:
- When working on a car, a problem at work, or a challenge at home, was there ever a scenario where it was just a straightforward problem that fixed the issue?
- Why do you think we desperately want the one magic fix instead of a list of things to do.
- How could we find accountability to help us stay the course toward good mental health?
By Pastor Paddy McCoy
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